Saturday 17 October 2015

Breakfast in America…


I guess we have all enjoyed a full English breakfast at some time even though we might have different definitions of what ‘full’ consists of. The ingredients can vary, but the staples are fried eggs, bacon, sausage and then there are the variables: fried bread, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, hash browns (an honourary English breakfast component) and beans – although I would argue that beans are a must have and the best full English has all of these ingredients, maybe a kidney or two and some haggis if you are north of the border.

When I was in the States I was amazed at the American stance on breakfast in general, but particularly their thinking on baked beans. Beans aren’t a breakfast food in the US at all and they simply don’t get beans on toast. Just why this superb combination - which can be breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, brinner, later-night supper and anything in between - is shunned mystifies me. And besides being incredibly tasty and arguably moderately healthy, it's also ridiculously quick to make: pop the beans in the microwave for a couple of minutes while the toaster heats up, and you've got a warm meal in no time at all. How Americans, many of whom eat beans and toast separately, and seem to be fans of instant gratification, can hate this cuisine is one of life’s puzzles I think.

The same goes for bangers and mash, it's not so much that Americans find it an odd combination; it’s more that they are not always sure what it means. Of course the trusty mashed potato and sausage, usually with added onion gravy, bangers and mash dish is often served in pubs along with warm beer. The ‘mash’ bit is obvious, but the ‘banger’ needs explanation. The term was first used in Britain during WWII when sausages were pumped up with water causing them to sometimes explode. Of course it could be the warm beer that is the problem for US citizens, warm beer causes them to pull faces and add an exploding sausage and ‘they are outta here’.

I have never seen an American eating a soft boiled egg at breakfast. In fact I have never seen an American eating a boiled egg or even an egg cup in America and it would be really impractical to eat a soft boiled egg without one. Of course egg cups are one of the great British collectables and a boiled egg and dippy bread soldiers are another of those foods that you can eat at any time and a great way to start the day. Yes, I’m part of the ‘Go to work on an egg’ generation. This one really seems to puzzle Americans. ‘What,’ they'll say. ‘You boil an egg, cut off the top and then dip thin fingers of buttered bread into the yolk? Do you consider that normal behavio(u)r dude?’ Well, frankly yes.

Then of course there’s the oddly named bubble and squeak. Perhaps with this combination of shallow fried mashed potatoes, greens, carrots, and any other scrapings left over from Sunday lunch, it’s more the name than anything else that overwhelms Americans. Add to this the flabber, gast and total incredulity with which they meet mushy peas or chips with gravy (and or curry sauce) and you begin to wonder if we actually come from the same planet.

In a fight which breakfast would win I wonder? Would it be the full English or the full American, and just what is a full American breakfast anyway? I’ve eaten fried eggs in the US, but many Americans seem to prefer their breakfast eggs scrambled, poached or omeletted (which un-Englishes any English breakfast). They drench syrup on their deep fried bacon and strange tasting, over ‘erbed, sausages and consider donuts, waffles, biscuits, pancakes and bagels as breakfast when they are obviously tea, a sandwich or pudding. I’ve had corned beef hash as breakfast in America (which I enjoyed), steak with fried potatoes (which is dinner really but jolly tasty), I’ve even had grits – a kind of maize porridge – with cheese, fatty bacon, and chopped spring onions all topped off with a poached egg (which I hated).

All in all to my mind the great American breakfast is too confusing to be a real breakfast at all. It crosses into a continental petit dejeuner, mixes sickly sweet and savoury on the same plate, seems to go on for ever and doesn’t come with a proper cup of tea.

Give me good old sausage, egg, bacon, beans and a slice of fried bread any day.

2 comments:

  1. Paula Braham Have you ever tried beans on toast with a fried egg on top? Great combination
    Unlike · Reply · 2 · 17 October at 19:28
    Kathryn Salthouse
    Kathryn Salthouse Definitely English
    Unlike · Reply · 2 · 17 October at 19:29
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Me too, although I did like the corned beef hash.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 19:43
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height One off my favourites Paula.
    Like · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 19:43
    Ian Maclachlan
    Ian Maclachlan You can't beat English. However, there is a little place in NY called The Waverley which do really good eggs benedict for breakfast but also do a spot on cup of tea.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:07
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height You see, I really don't think eggs Benedict is a working miners breakfast Ian.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:19
    Ian Maclachlan
    Ian Maclachlan I guess it's time to turn my davy lamp in.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:23
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Keep the nightingale though Ian.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 23:32
    Andrew Height

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    Paul Whitehouse
    Paul Whitehouse Hmmm you give me problems here Andrew as i am a big fan of going out for breakfast in the US, to a Waffle House or Cracker Barrel. I can do the syrup on bacon thing but not the bacon itself ....you have to ask for Canadian bacon or you get those brittl...See More
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:07
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height I had Biscuits and gravy in the deep south of the Mississippi Paul - pure shite. I like my bacon smoked, streaky and crispy but not cremated Paul - yes, I know what you mean.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:23
    Kieran Goodwin
    Kieran Goodwin I remember the first time I went, ate a short stack of pancakes for breakfast, with whipped butter and syrup. Weird, just weird.
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 20:14
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height They aren't even good pancakes like to thin crepe style we have on pancake day. They are basically dough.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:24
    Paul Whitehouse
    Paul Whitehouse Whipped butter is just wrong
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 20:17
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Fully agree and they call it bartar - it took me ten minutes to explain what I was asking for.
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 20:25
    Kieran Goodwin
    Kieran Goodwin Yep
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 20:17
    Mick Norman
    Mick Norman Totally agree Andrew, the lack of good sausage and proper bacon really does not help much. As for black pudding, most Americans recoil in horror at the thought of it. Hoping to visit the UK next year and the first thing on the agenda will be a proper English breakfast. Then proper fish and chips. Then a proper Indian smile emoticon
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 20:53
    Paul Whitehouse
    Paul Whitehouse Despite all the negatives here, I really wish going out for breakfast was more of a 'thing' here in the UK. It is something I love about visiting the US. I know it's possible here but we don't generally do it ..... Shame
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 21:16
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Being British helps Paul, but I never did get a good sausage in America - whoops, am I allowed to say that father?
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 23:23

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  2. Lynda Henderson
    Lynda Henderson Never mind the term breakfast or what Americans serve versus what The English serve, what I am noticing is a consistent pattern of poking fun at the USA. I mean sure we like our omelette with American "cheese" and a pistol on the side, but we are all...See More
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · 17 October at 21:32
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    Mick Norman
    Mick Norman It's your international role to be the subject of funpokery - just accept it and keep on entertaining us smile emoticon
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 22:29
    Mick Norman
    Mick Norman By the way, when I get citizenship, I will be doing the same thing smile emoticon
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 22:30
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Gosh Lynda that really puts me on the spot. How very dare I poke fun at America when America's gun laws, foreign policies, religious manias and now breakfast differences, do it so well without my comments. This is of course tongue in cheek satire by th...See More
    Like · Reply · 17 October at 23:21 · Edited
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height By the way, I hate porridge. It is the snot from an oatmeal sow who has consumption. Of course there are many out there who would disagree, but they are mainly Scottish or some such nonsense (tongue in cheek warning about this comment you Jocs).
    Like · Reply · Yesterday at 00:15 · Edited
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height That's doubly satirical by the way US citizens. Which makes this comment Tripoli satirical for the Italians.
    Like · Reply · 1 · Yesterday at 00:18
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Which is quadruplet satirical if you have four legs.
    Like · Reply · Yesterday at 00:19
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height You getting it yet?
    Like · Reply · Yesterday at 00:20
    Lynda Henderson
    Lynda Henderson Ah Andi i adore you and your blog posts, I just think "hey lets poke fun at France for a change ��" we have gross shit, I get it, but it hurts Andi, it hurts! Xoxxo
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · Yesterday at 01:54
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height It shouldn't Lynda. There is affection in every tiny jibe and bit of fun poking. If there wasn't i wouldn't bother to write it. Well, that's breakfast done, time to think about sandwiches wink emoticon
    Like · Reply · 1 · Yesterday at 09:28
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height PS - if I cared about France I would blog about them but they don't do breakfast, they just eat bread and jam.
    Like · Reply · Yesterday at 09:29
    Lynda Henderson
    Lynda Henderson Sandwiches! Bring it on lol
    Unlike · Reply · 1 · Yesterday at 14:53
    Andrew Height
    Andrew Height Some time soon then wink emoticon
    Like · Reply · 1 min

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